Why Midwifery?
It is essential that we share our philosophy of care. Having a baby at home with a midwife is not the most common way to birth in Oregon in the 21st century. We the reasons why we believe in midwifery care and home birth are important to us. Because of that, we believe it’s important to share them. The reasons someone wants a home birth are as varied as the reasons someone became a midwife. We find that it’s important for our philosophy and yours to line up when we work together towards home birth.
From Kelsey-
When I realized that people still had babies at home with midwives, it instantly resonated in me. I was immediately picked up from the path I was on and placed on the road to becoming a midwife. I believe birth is beautiful, natural, and normal. It’s part of every human’s experience. That being said, I think the place where birth works best is where you feel safest. Even though community (home and birth center) birth has great statistics and research behind it, not everyone feels safe doing it. There are plenty of reasons to chose a hospital as a birth place either because of risk factors or simply because that’s where you WANT to have your baby. I fully support you in that choice, no matter when you make it.
Home is my favorite place to attend births. I think there is a profound sweetness to having a baby as part of your everyday world and being tucked into your own bed for that first sleep after the birth. In my philosophy, midwives definitely have an important role in home birth. Even though birth is a normal and natural event, things can (and sometimes do) go awry. I see myself as a gatekeeper of what’s normal and okay. I stay vigilante to signs that something is going outside of normal. In my experience, it is often far easier and more successful to perform a smaller intervention early on. This can often prevent a more drastic event later. As a result my care tends to be mostly “hands off” unless something seems off. Then I try to get more information so we can make that early course correction.
Something that may be different about me is that I’m really not against hospitals. They have truly valuable resources and tools. I just don’t see them as always necessary for every birth. Part of my role as a midwife is to recognize whey they have become necessary for health and safety reasons.
I believe that the person having the baby has the ultimate say about care. I have a deep respect for that autonomy. Unfortunately it can sometimes be at odds with my own autonomy. In choosing to be a licensed midwife, I have agreed to work within the framework of my license and experience. While that provides me with legal access to potentially lifesaving resources, it also means that there are rules to follow. When my clients end up outside that framework, I do what I can to make sure their voice is still heard within their new care plan.
Learn more about our Midwives
You can learn more about each of our midwives including clinical training and experiences on our Meet the Midwives page!
Not the right fit?
We are not the right midwives for everyone! If you want to learn more about questions to ask a midwife or if you’re looking for something different, please visit Oregon Midwifery Council. As the professional organization for Midwives in Oregon, they have lists of questions as well as listings of midwives! We believe birth works best when you feel the safest and best supported, even if that isn’t with us. Many other midwives also list their philosophy of care on their websites. If you interview with a Licensed Direct Entry Midwife, you can ask for their “Patient (or Client) Disclosure Form”. Philosophy of Care is one of the sections required by the licensing board for midwives.